Finding a Killer is a Circus
I enjoyed the four Shake Shop Mysteries that Dana Mentink wrote, so I was very curious to read Lost and Clowned, a rare standalone cozy set in the world of a traveling circus. It may have taken me a while to get it and read it, but I’m glad I did since I enjoyed it.
Pi Steely (yes, that’s her real name) is the business manager and a clown in the traveling circus her uncle owns. It’s the first place in her life she’s felt at home, and she loves her life and feels like her fellow performers are family. The time around Christmas is always a dead time, and this year, the circus is spending it in a small California coastal town. They are spending the down time working on a new act, even putting on a short show for the locals to try out the material.
However, the next morning, Pi stumbles on a body on the beach. She recognizes the woman as someone who attended the show the day before. The detective is certain that a member of the circus is responsible for the crime. Pi is quick to dismiss that, but as secrets start coming out, she begins to wonder if the detective is right. Is someone in the circus a killer?
If you are expecting the book to be filled with wildly outrageous characters, you’ll be disappointed. While the characters might have a few more quirks than in a typical cozy, they still feel very grounded and realistic. These are not circus freaks, these are people who happen to work in a circus. I did have a hard time keeping them all straight early on, but as the story unfolded, I was able to remember who they were. I did find Pi a little immature for her mid-twenties a couple of times, but maybe that was just me.
I did find the pacing off a time or two, but it never lasted for long. We get enough time to meet the characters and the circus setting before the story kicks off. And there is plenty going on. I was hooked as Pi tried to figure out what was going on. This included a shock in her personal life. The ultimate solution made sense, and the climax kept me hooked.
The tone was a bit more serious than I was expecting for a circus setting, but it fit the story being told perfectly. And there were moments of fun along the way.
And, yes, I enjoyed the setting. There are some references to places I recognized in Northern California, which always made me smile.
Given the author has written plenty of other books since she released this one, I do think this is a standalone, which is very rare in the cozy subgenre. And, given the nature of this story, I’m not sure I see how a series would flow out of this book. But if she were to release a sequel, I’d pick it up.
I’m glad I finally got to enjoy Lost and Clowned. This is a book to pick up if you are looking for a different cozy.
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